The French writers also tried to imitate the English models and produced a number of newspaper essays, novels etc As people of France did not enjoy much other freedom of press most of their works were published in other countries like Holland and England. No wonder these writers criticized the existing order and preached new ideas.

In France the intellectuals were invited to Salons by literary ladies where they could express their ideas. As a result these writers had to avoid remarks which could embarrass their hostesses and often in their writings they sacrificed depth, even though their style was simple, clear and witty.

Some of the prominent writers of the age of Enlightenment in France were Bayle, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau etc. Pierre Bayle (1647-06) set forth skeptical views in his Thoughts on the Comet (1682) and A Historical and Critical Dictionary in four volumes published between (1695- 97).

Baron de Montesquieu (1689-17) wrote Persian Letters; Consideration on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and of Their Decadences ; and Spirit of Laws in which he indirectly criticized the French Monarchy and put forth the theory of separation of powers. Francis Marie Aronuet, popularly known as Voltaire (1694-1778), criticized French Government in his Philosophical Letters on the English and adopted a critical attitude towards traditional religion in his Mahomet.

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His other notable works include–Candida (1759); Essay on Toleration (1763); Philosophical Dictionary (1764). Denis Diderot (1713-84) and Jean d’ Alembert (1717- 83) undertook a project to present all human knowledge and produced Encyclopedia in thirty-five volumes.

These volumes received overwhelm­ing reception from the French people and are regarded as an event in the intellectual history of France. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) was an­other literary figure of France. He wrote The Origin of Inequality (1754), The Social Contract (1762), Julia (1761), Emile (1762), and Confessions. Rousseau differed from other writers and criticized them for idolizing reason and defended sentimentality. Thus he laid the foundation for the romantic movement of the next century.